USMCA’s First Major Review: Issues to Watch in 2026
Trade
The July 2026 review of USMCA presents a critical opportunity to renew the agreement, reaffirm trilateral trade priorities, and resolve ongoing disputes between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Provider Taxes: Their Role in Medicaid Financing
Health Care
Provider taxes are health care-related fees, assessments, or other mandatory payments that U.S. states place on health care providers to help finance the state’s share of Medicaid expenditures. Nearly every state uses at least one provider tax to help finance Medicaid. Provider Taxes are defined in federal statute and regulations as taxes for which at least 85% of the tax burden falls on health care items, services, or entities that provide or pay for health care items or services, such as hospitals or managed care organizations. Provider taxes may be imposed as a percentage of provider revenues or using an alternative formula, such as a flat tax on facility beds or inpatient days. Generally, states use provider tax revenues to fund Medicaid, including Medicaid base rates and supplemental payments, and to finance eligibility expansions (i.e., Medicaid expansion).
EU Corporate Due Diligence Rules: What the Omnibus Changes Mean
In December 2025, following extensive debate about the regulatory burden, the risk of significant penalties, and potential constraints on global competitiveness, the EU adopted a package of “Omnibus” amendments that revised both the scope and requirements of CS3D.
Continued Labor Reform Dialogue in the 119th Congress
Workforce
In the first year of the Trump Administration and the 119th Congress, the ideological divisions and dialogue on labor policy reform have evolved in response to shifting electoral coalitions.
Behind the Locked Cases: The Threat of Organized Retail Theft
Trade
Organized retail theft has rapidly become one of the most pressing challenges facing retailers, logistics providers, law enforcement, and communities nationwide.
The State of Women’s Health in 2026: A Policy Brief
Health Care
Today, because of innovation, research and development, and medical breakthroughs, women have shorter diagnostic journeys and more viable treatments than ever. Despite this progress, hurdles continue in normalizing conversation on women’s health in the workplace, misdiagnosis of health issues, and achieving higher levels of health equity among minority populations. Lawmakers and experts are seeking solutions to align incentives, expand access, and foster an ecosystem that improves outcomes.
Fraud and Scams
Financial Services
One in five Americans have reported falling victim to an online scam or attack, with total costs ranging from $12.5 to $16.8 billion, a roughly 25% annual increase from the previous year. However, those figures, as reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Trade Commission, respectively, do not account for the fact that the vast majority of scams go unreported, with an estimated three in four victims never filing a report with law enforcement. Furthermore, frauds and scams do not occur exclusively online, as criminals continue to commit “in-person” frauds or use technology to perpetuate scams via other telecommunication channels.
Major Financial Laws: Regulatory Agencies – Part 4 of 4
Financial Services
As the United States has grown and evolved, it has passed more and more legislation governing the financial services industry. Much of this legislation, to accommodate the new powers vested in the executive branch, created new agencies. Today, a complex web of agencies dominates the financial services regulatory environment. These agencies have transformed the U.S. financial services landscape, making the U.S. one of the best nations for financial institutions to do business and ensuring that the U.S. economy remains robust and relatively safe from financial shocks. However, the numerous agencies can often place a burden on businesses, especially smaller companies, and at times perform duplicative functions. Calls to reform or streamline the functions of U.S. financial regulators are nearly as old as the agencies themselves, and there is always room to improve the U.S. financial services industry by strengthening, combining, or eliminating duplicative processes, or all three.